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??Abstract??Objective To obtain the data of dental measurements in healthy Bai teenagers. Methods Normal dentognathic models were obtained in 97 teenagers. The width of the tooth crown and the size of the dental arch were measured with a venier. The measurments were statistically analysed. Results The tooth crown in boys was wider than that in girls except first premolar and second premolar;the dental arch width and length in boys were wider than those in girls.There was no significant difference in Bolton index and Pont index between boys and girls. Conclusion The norms of teeth??denal arch and dentition index on normal occlusion in Bai teenagers have been established?? and they have a certain reference value to guide clinical orthodontics.     

High‐definition optical coherence tomography enables visualization of individual cells in healthy skin: comparison to reflectance confocal microscopy

High‐definition OCT (HD‐OCT) is an innovative technique based on the principle of conventional OCT. Our objective was to test the resolution and image quality of HD‐OCT in comparison with reflectance confocal microscopy (RCM) of healthy skin. Firstly, images have been made of a ultra‐high‐resolution line‐pair phantome with both systems. Secondly, we investigated 21 healthy volunteers of different phototypes with HD‐OCT and RCM on volar forearm and compared the generated images. HD‐OCT displays also differences depending on the skin phototype and anatomical site. The 3‐μm lateral resolution of the HD‐OCT could be confirmed by the phantom analysis. The identification of cells in the epidermis can be made by both techniques. RCM offers the best lateral resolution, and HD‐OCT has the best penetration depth, providing images of individual cells deeper within the dermis. Eccrine ducts and hair shafts with pilosebaceous units can be observed depending on skin site. HD‐OCT provides morphological imaging with sufficient resolution and penetration depth to permit visualization of individual cells at up to 570 μm in depth offering the possibility of additional structural information complementary to that of RCM. HD‐OCT further has the possibility for rapid three‐dimensional imaging.     

Evaluation of plasma retinol-binding protein as a surrogate measure for plasma retinol concentrations

Fasting growth hormone (GH) levels and GH responses to exercise were studied in normally menstruating women and in women taking oral contraceptives in order to find out whether the GH levels were related to the menstrual cycle or changed by oral contraceptives. The GH response to exercise was found to be higher when exercise was done in the midcycle period than when it was done at other points of time during the normal menstrual cycle. Fasting GH levels were unchanged throughout the menstrual cycle. Fasting GH levels and GH responses to exercise performed outside the midcycle period were identical in normally menstruating women and in women taking oral contraceptives. In conclusion, the GH response to exercise, but not fasting GH levels, were related to the menstrual cycle. The estrogen and progestin components of the contraceptives used in this study were balanced in such a way that the growth hormone levels and growth hormone responses to exercise were not changed by long-term therapy with these drugs.     

北京地区健康女性跟骨超声速率的正常参考值及其分析

目的建立北京地区健康成年女性的跟骨骨超声速率(speed of sound,SOS)的正常参考值。方法用日本吉野电器公司生产的CM-100型跟骨骨超声测定仪对912名北京地区健康女性志愿者进行跟骨SOS测定,并对其中110名志愿者用双能X线骨密度仪(DXA)进行腰椎I_(2-4)和髋部的骨密度测定。结果健康女性跟骨SOS在26～30岁年龄组达到峰值[(1 533.4±34.2)m/s],达峰值后开始下降,46～50岁后下降速度加快。绝经期前、后跟骨SOS差异有统计学意义。跟骨SOS下降分为快速下降期、稳定下降期和再下降期。经DXA测定的骨密度值与跟骨SOS值相关(r=0.323～0.506,P0.01)。结论本研究建立了北京地区健康妇女跟骨SOS正常值,跟骨SOS和DEXA测定骨密度之间存在良好的相关性。     

Normal Anatomic Variants on Transthoracic Echocardiogram

Apart from their existence as medical curiosities, anatomic variants also double as diagnostic dilemmas. In the heart, more than in any other location in the body, misinterpretation of normal anatomic variants as pathologic entities can have a profound impact on treatment decisions and clinical consequences. Echocardiography is an easily accessible tool these days and is used routinely in most cardiac evaluations. Thus it becomes imperative for the echocardiographer to be cognizant of normal anatomic variants. Furthermore, echocardiographic findings should always be evaluated in their proper clinical context and diagnoses should never be entertained in a clinical vacuum. The literature is replete with numerous case reports and vignettes on these fascinating structures but is lacking in a formal review of normal anatomic variants. In this article, we have attempted a systemic review of normal variants, their embryologic origins, echocardiographic characteristics, and common pitfalls encountered in their evaluation.     

Role of a second stage partogram in predicting the outcome of normal labour

Background: Management of the second stage of labour is dictated by arbitrary time limits rather than true measures of progress. No partogram is available for second stage of labour.
Objectives: To evaluate a partogram designed for use for the second stage of labour.
Methods: This prospective cross-sectional analytical study included low-risk pregnant women with singleton fetuses with vertex presentations at term. From onset of the second stage, vaginal examinations were performed every 30 min until delivery. A scoring system developed by Sizer et al . was used based on station and position of fetal head. Scores were plotted on a second stage partogram and used to predict labour outcomes, such as duration of second stage and mode of delivery.
Results: Of 79 women examined, 73 had spontaneous vaginal delivery. Of the remaining six, four required oxytocin infusion and other two required vacuum extraction. The median durations of the second stage of labour for primigravidas ( n  = 34) and multigravidas ( n  = 45) were 35 and 25 min, respectively. The median Sizer's partogram score at the onset of second stage was 4. Multiple regression analysis showed that the partogram score ( r ² = 0.27) and gravidity ( r ² = 0.10) were independent predictors of duration of the second stage. There was a significant association between second stage progress plotted to the right of the partogram line and non-spontaneous delivery ( P =  0.01).
Conclusion: The second stage partogram score at onset can predict the duration of second stage. Poor progress plotted on the partogram is associated with non-spontaneous delivery.     

Immunophenotype of c-kit cells in normal human bone marrow: implications for the detection of minimal residual disease in AML

Summary. In the present study, seven normal human bone marrow samples from healthy volunteers have been analysed in order to investigate the immunophenotypic characteristics of the normal CD117⁺ cells and their utility for the detection of minimal residual disease in 71 acute myeloid leukaemia patients.
Our results show that most of normal BM CD117⁺ cells coexpress the HLADR and the myeloid associated CD33 antigen. In addition, almost half of CD117⁺ cells are CD34⁺, these cells displaying a different FSC/SSC distribution when compared to the CD117⁺/CD34⁻ cells. No CD117⁺/CD15⁺ and CD117⁺/CD10⁺ cells were detected and very few CD117⁺ cells (<1 × 10⁻³) expressing the HLADR⁻/CD34⁻, CD33⁺/HLADR⁻ and CD34⁺/HLADR⁻ phenotypes were found to be present in normal BM. In contrast, from the 71 AML patients analysed, 34 had CD117⁺/CD15⁺ blast cells and eight had the CD117⁺ phenotypes detected at low frequencies (<1 × 10⁻³) in normal BM.
In summary, the present study shows that the use of the CD117 antigen in different monoclonal antibodies combinations may be of great help for the detection of minimal residual disease in a high proportion of AML cases, especially in those patients displaying the CD117⁺/CD15⁺ phenotype, because cells coexpressing both antigens in normal BM, if present, are at very low frequencies.